Zulu Kingdom: Southern Africa's Dominant Power
The Zulu Kingdom was one of the most powerful states in Southern and Central Africa during its peak in the mid-19th century. The Zulu expansion and domination of their neighbours is credited to the inspirational leader Shaka, who transformed regional warfare, using new weapons and tactics to defeat all comers. Inevitably, the aspirations of the Zulu Kingdom to conquer new resources and territories led it into conflict with European colonists, particularly the Boers and the British. The Zulu Kingdom was conquered and divided following British success in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Zululand was incorporated into the Union of South Africa in 1910, and the kingdom became the province of KwaZulu-Natal in 1994.
Origins
The Zulus were originally one clan of the Nguni people who had migrated down into Southern Africa in the 16th century. Originally, the Zulus were mixed farmers, with cattle ownership being the main symbol of prosperity. Indeed, cattle were so important to the Zulu that their language had over 300 words to refer to the subject. Zululand grew around the eastern coast of Southern Africa and expanded to control the area between the Umkusi River in the north and the Tugela River in the south. By the 1820s, the Zulu Kingdom had built itself an empire based on a martial culture where society and the army were strictly divided by age.
Read More
⇒ Zulu Kingdom: Southern Africa's Dominant Power
